STUDIES ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERIODONTITIS AND ORAL CANCER

Abstract

Oral cancer represents a worldwide public health problem classified as the sixth most common type of cancer. It presents worrying five-year mortality rates in recent decades. It is estimated that approximately 15% of oral cancers have an unknown cause. Recently published studies have suggested that periodontal disease may pose an increased risk for the development of oral cancer. However, the impact of periodontal disease on the pathogenesis of oral cancer in vivo is almost non-existent in the literature. This thesis evaluated, through two articles, the relationship between periodontal disease and oral cancer. The first article of this thesis deals with a review of epidemiological studies on the association of periodontal disease and oral cancer, as well as current studies regarding biological mechanisms. Most epidemiological studies point to periodontitis as an independent risk factor for oral cancer after statistical adjustments for different confounding factors, such as smoking. Biological studies have mostly.